Prevention of mammary adenocarcinoma and skin tumour by Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom occurring in South India

Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) P. Karst. is considered as a panacea in Chinese medicine. This mushroom has been reported to have a number of novel biological activities. Our previous investigations have demonstrated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumour activities of aqueous-methanolic extract of G. lucidum occurring in South India. We extended our studies to evaluate the effect of this mushroom extract on the prevention of mammary adenocarcinoma in rats and skin tumour in mice. Mammary tumours were induced by oral administration of 7,12-dimethyl benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in female Sprague Dawley rats. Skin tumours were induced by topical application of DMBA and promoted by croton oil on Balb/c mice. The experimental results indicated that G. lucidum showed significant tumour reducing activity against DMBA induced mammary and skin tumours in a dose-dependent manner. The administration of the mushroom extract showed profound effect on tumour induction, tumour latency period and tumour proliferation of both mammary tumour as well as skin tumours. The results thus reveal that the aqueous-mehanolic extract of G. lucidum possessed significant protective effect against DMBA induced mammary and skin tumours. Findings suggest the potential therapeutic use of G. lucidum in cancer chemoprevention.